Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Next Big Thing

By:
Susan Furlong Bolliger

The Next Big Thing is a blog chain in which
participating authors answer ten questions about their current work in progress
or upcoming publications. One of my favorite authors, B.K. Stevens tagged me in
this ongoing blog chain. You can stop by the Untreed Reads Blog at http://bit.ly/dl4tCm and learn about her
forthcoming story “No Good Deed” to be released in the anthology titled TO HELL
IN A FAST CAR, edited by John L. French. You can also read more about B.K.’s
writing and check out her other stories on her website at http://www.bkstevensmysteries.com/
.

So, thank you B.K., for including me in your line-up
of tagged authors. I’m happy to get the chance to talk a bit about my writing
and one of my current projects, a cozy mystery novel titled MURDER FOR BID.

Here are my answers about my Next Big Thing:

What
is the title of your work?

MURDER
FOR BID

Where
did the idea come from for the book?

My
characters are always inspired by people I observe and it just so happens that
the main character of this book, Pippi O’Brien, was inspired by a close friend.

What
genre does your book fall under?

MURDER
FOR BID is a cozy mystery with a bit of an edge.

Which
actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

The
lead actress to portray the main character, Pippi, would have to be red-headed
(or willing to go red) and able to pull off Pippi’s personality—adventurous, spunky and a bit quirky.punky, and a bit quirky.

George
Clooney could definitely pinch-hit for Sean Panelli, Pippi’s main love
interest. Or, maybe since Panelli is an Italian name, a modern day Sinatra or
Valentino could be found. I’d be happy to act as the casting agent!

What
is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Dumpster-diving red-head leaves a lucrative but stressful job to start a new
career refurbishing and selling other people’s junk … and solving mysteries.

Will
your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m
currently in submission with a couple of small/independent presses. So, keep
your fingers, and toes, crossed for me.

How
long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

MURDER
FOR BID took six months to write and another three months to edit. I’ve already
penned a sequel which took less time to plot. I feel connected to the
characters and could easily see myself writing more books in the series.

What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Just
combine the crafty ingenuity of Lois Winton’s Anastasia Pollack; the
adventurous edge of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum; and the fun spirit of Sue
Ann Jaffarian’s Odelia Grey. A crazy mash up; but one heck of a fun read!

Who
or what inspired you to write this book?

Like
I said earlier, a friend of mine inspired the main character of this story.
She's one of those incredibly talented people that could pretty much
pick and choose her career path, but has chosen to leave a lucrative marketing
job to stay home with her children, much like my protagonist chooses to leave
her over-the-top stressful job and pursue a simpler, slower-paced lifestyle. My
friend is also someone that can take any old piece of trash she finds and turn
it into something beautiful and useful. I swear she puts a new spin on the word
“up-cycle” and … so does my main character, Pippi O’Brien. In fact, Pippi is
almost as successful at reselling other people’s castoffs as she is at solving
mysteries.

What
else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

There’s
something for everyone in MURDER FOR BID. The story line will please
discriminating mystery readers, the characters will intrigue and the humor will
bring a smile to your face. And, for those of you who are on a budget … well,
you’ll definitely appreciate Pippi’s panache for turning trash into treasure.

Here’s
some information about the talented writers I’ve invited to participate in The
Next Big Thing blog chain.Watch for
their post next week—November 25th through December 2nd.

Terry
Ambrose, author of PHOTO FINISH, a
humorous mystery set in Hawaii, will be posting about his forthcoming
publication on his blog, Mysteries with
Character.http://terryambrose.com/

Derek
Flynn, a talented writer, blogger and musician, will post
about his latest musical release, DO YOU DREAM AT ALL? Be sure to stop by his
blog, Rant with Occasional Music, and
find out what it takes to write and produce a successful album. http://derekflynn.wordpress.com/

Morgan
Mandel, prolific writer of short and novel-length fiction,
posted her Next Big Thing on the Make
Mine Mystery blog. You can read about her intriguing new mystery
FOREVER YOUNG: A BLESSING OR A CURSE at http://bit.ly/XxeHMt.

Denise
Weeks, award-winning novelist of NICE WORK, will be posting
on her blog at http://www.deniseweeks.blogspot.com/Be sure to stop by and see what will be
Denise’s Next Big Thing!

Susan
writes from the Midwest where she lives with her husband and four children. Her
articles and stories have appeared in national magazines such as Country
magazine and Woman's World. To find out more about her work, visit www.sfurlongbolliger.com